India's bold retort on G20 showdown over Ukraine war | 'Our stand is same, ask Russia and China'

India categorically denies changing its stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In a statement, India's ministry of external affairs said that New Delhi had just taken the final Bali declaration agreed to by all parties on the war forward. The statement followed the G20 Finance Ministers' meeting, which ended after they failed to agree on a joint statement on February 26. Russia and China opposed the text in the communiqué condemning the Ukraine war. The G20 Foreign Ministers' draft communiqué included two paragraphs on the Ukraine crisis, which were part of the final Bali declaration signed in November 2022. Because of the impasse, India issued a summary signed by the Chair. The most striking fact is that Russia and China endorsed the Bali declaration after a brief tiff last year. Notably, in the third paragraph of the Bali declaration, instead of saying "representing all members," it mentioned "most members," indicating that not all states support the condemnation. India, a close Russian ally, faces a tough task as G20 president amid the Ukraine conflict.